US 5,285,742 AGranted

Sail powered vehicle

OwnerJay A. Andersoninventor

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Abstract

A wind powered vehicle including an operator platform having tilting and stationary sections coupled together via a plurality of hanger bearings and a longitudinal pivot axle. The platform section tilts with foot pressure applied at a stirrup to direct a forward steering assembly. The stationary platform section includes a resilient suspension and supports an opposite foot of the operator. The forward steering assembly provides a tilting, center biased steering turntable and axle. Adjustable axle bearing collar support and shock absorbers support forward and aft pairs of skis, wheels or runners which are tilted at opposite caster angles. The steering assembly, hanger bearings, cable truss supports and a sail coupler are each longitudinally adjustable along the length of the platform. In alternative configurations, wheels are mounted to the fore and aft axles; the platform includes spray guards; or the vehicle is constructed with water skis and the platform is constructed to provide flotation.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A wind powered vehicle comprising:

(a) sail means for capturing surface winds including a sail, a mast and a boom and means for manipulating said sail means by an upright operator;
(b) an operator support platform including an aft platform section and a forward platform section, a longitudinal axle, means for coupling said sail means to said forward platform section and means for pivotally securing said longitudinal axle between the forward and aft platform section, wherein said aft platform section supports a first foot of the operator, wherein said forward platform section includes stirrup means for restraining the other foot of the operator to said forward platform section to control rotation of the forward section about the longitudinal axle;
(c) first and second terrain contacting means for supporting the platform to a terrain surface and wherein a caster angle of the first terrain contacting means is opposite to a caster angle of the second terrain contacting means;
(d) steering means coupled to said forward platform section including first and second portions and a plurality of roller bearings coupled between said first and second portions, wherein said first portion couples to the forward platform section and said second portion couples to a steering axle means containing the first terrain contacting means, and wherein the first and second portions rotate relative to one another with the rotation of the forward platform section to directionally steer the first terrain contacting means;
and
(e) means for securing the second terrain contacting means to the aft platform section.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.